Phantom
By Wolf Girl
Disclaimer: I do not have any sort of ownership over the characters or the premise of Gundam Wing. I do not make any sort of profit off of this story.
Warnings: AU, Sci-fi, Yaoi, minor Relena bastardization, slightly OOC Heero (as per series, but since this is AU I can do what I want with him.) 40's slang usage
AN Warning: Unfortunately, my grammar and punctuation usage is a weird mix of American and British styles... Enough said.
Pairings: 5+1, 1x2x1, 3x4, others...
Italics thought (unless obviously otherwise).
--+--
Four"I guess we're all togged to the bricks(1)," Duo's voice rang from inside the car. The door opened and Heero swallowed slightly. Relena's frown was magnified to one-thousand watts, and Zechs whistled slowly.
Duo was dressed in a slim cut suit that showed the lines of his legs and showcased his butt. His shoulders seemed broad and his body slim. His hair was braided tightly and fell down his back as usual, but Duo's face was accented with a hint of make-up. "Now I look like a cookie." He grinned wolfishly, and Relena found herself having trouble breathing. "Not that I'm not," Duo finished, and shut the car door.
Zechs took off his hat and bowed. "Well, I must be off to moniter the earpieces and video feed."
"We need to go. It's rude to be more than ten minutes late." Relena said haughtily. "Don't forget to get the attention of the target."
"You're telling a show horse how to canter, Queenie. You just work on seeming like you're married to frigid Oolie Droolie(2) over here." Duo pulled on Heero's tie, sending him lurching unexpectedly toward the braided man.
Duo glanced again at Relena, who was as pink with rage as her magenta cocktail dress. They both glanced surreptitiously at Heero, before Relena seized his arm and started to saunter off to the front entrance. Duo waited a moment before following.
Heero and Relena greeted the guests just inside the door and a server came to take them to their seats. Duo strode up, turning heads as he walked up the steps.
A flustered serving-man showed Duo to his seat at the far end of the table, then returned to show Relena and Heero to their places near the middle. "I can see the target." Duo's whisper filled their ears through the earpieces.
There was the clinking of china and polite conversation. Relena turned her head to Heero and sighed, looking at him wistfully. Heero glanced at her once, all the while talking to the man on his left.
"Having fun watching him?" A voice came in her ear. Her brother's humor was barbing. "Keep telling yourself that. You might believe he's actually interested."
"I'm maintaining my cover. We're newlyweds after all," Relena whispered back. In reply, there was a crackle, showing that her brother had cut the connection to her earpiece.She grit her teeth. This wasn't an obsession, simply devotion. Complete devotion to him. I would do anything for him, she thought. Even if it meant getting hurt myself.
She smiled politely and chewed her chicken, keeping one hand near Heero's. Heero smiled through tight lips and talked about stocks with the man on his left.
She could see the target further down the table. His interests were focused on Duo, just as planned. "02, keep it up, it's working."
Heero's head whipped around to look, then he checked himself and abruptly turned back to his conversation. The man he was talking to smiled in a puzzled way.
On the other side of the room, Duo was seated just at the end of the table, closest to where the children sat. A little girl in a pink dress was looking at him with a frown on her face from between bites of salad.
"You look like a vegitarian." The little girl said, staring at him disapprovingly.
"Well, I'm not. How can a person look like a vegitarian anyway?"
"You just do. It's in your face." She resumed eating, stabbing some noodles with her fork. Duo stuck his tongue out at her, then looked around sheepishly. An elderly man was grinning at him. Duo smiled flirtaciously. The target was hooked. This would be easy.
--+--
"He's gone?" Heero asked. He looked around the room.
Quatre frowned. "Well, he left the information for us, and he can't have gone far. We have his way home."
"Maybe he wasn't going home," Trowa said softly. "He must have contacts in the area."
"I knew I should have seduced the old bastard. Duo wasn't ready for it."
"Duo is a thief, not a spy." Heero stated coldly. "But it doesn't mean he's not familiar with turning tricks."
Quatre coloured and turned to him. "Is that what we all do, turn tricks then? In that case I'll make sure you're turning—"
Wufei coughed suddenly. The tension grew and all the others looked at him. "There are flowers for me." He blushed. "The card only says: To Wufei; Love, Duo."
"He's sorry for your loss," Trowa said softly.
"What?" Quatre asked, looking around. "Did he leave another note?"
"He didn't need to. It's in the flowers."
"What are you talking about?" Wufei snapped. "This arrangement is horrible. It shows no taste in symmetry."
"It's beautifully arranged for its purpose. Look, there's red geraniums and crimson roses on either side, rosemary in front." Trowa explained, pointing to each flower in turn.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wufei's face scrunched up, looking at the flower arrangement.
"Red geraniums mean consolation, and crimson roses mean mourning. Rosemary is for remembrance. He's saying that he is sorry for your loss and offers remembrance."
The room fell silent. Wufei picked up the arrangement and set it on the empty nightstand. Quatre made a small noise and led Trowa out of the room as Wufei sat cross-legged to meditate. Heero stared at the flowers another moment before grabbing a coat and leaving the house, clutching his own boquet of lilacs, calla lilies and orange blossoms close to his chest.
--+--
Heero woke up suddenly, dripping in sweat. He couldn't stop remembering. He got up and went to the kitchen. The coffee maker clock read 4:15AM. It was late enough to get up. He poured himself some cold coffee and slammed the mug into the microwave. The notes plagued his mind.
The cursor blinked at him, and he grabbed his mug from the microwave. He sat down at the computer.
I left it all to an orphanage in the bank district of town. Even if they found the will, they would hardly believe it. Who lives in the slums if they don't have to? For me, I went between my two homes, the hotel and the flat. It was easier to keep my cover in the flat, and more convenient to take care of the building in the hotel.
Heero pulled on his sneakers and ran out of the building without tying them.
--+--
Endnotes: Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. Those reviews really made my day.
Flower language:
Geranium (scarlet)- consolation
Rosemary- remembrance
Rose (dark crimson)- mourning
Lilac (purple)- first emotions of love
Calla Lily- magnificent beauty
Orange blossom- your purity equals your loveliness
40s Slang:
(1) Togged to the bricks: dressed up formally.
(2) Oolie Drooly: boyfriend, sweetheart, handsome man.
As always, R&R, and email me if you have questions,